Hand weaving loom

ABSTRACT

A hand operated weaving loom comprising, a rectangular frame having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, a series of lifters pivotally mounted on a first end wall for retaining the warp threads and a detachable rotatable cam mechanism positioned below the lifters and supported by the side walls whereby on rotation of the cam mechanism the lifters are oscillated upwards and downwards relative to the longitudinal axis of the frame to effect shedding of the warp threads and to produce the desired weaving pattern. One end of the warp thread is attached to a hook provided on the end of the lifter and the other end of the warp thread is attached to a series of fingers mounted on the second end wall. At predetermined positions of the cam assembly the weft threads are inserted manually between the warp threads and the ends of the weft threads are attached to a series of fingers mounted on each of the side walls. In one embodiment each of the warp and weft threads is in the form of an elongated elastic loop. The weaving pattern may be varied by interchanging the cam mechanism and utilizing a different set of cams.

United States Patent Ilelks 51 May 30, 1972 HAND WEAVING LOOM Primary Examiner--Henry S. Jaudon [72] Inventor: Eugene lleks, Providence Hospital, 3276 AtmmeyGex-ge Riches tnacdlzir Ave. East, Toronto, Ontario, ABSTRACT [22] Filed, June 12 1970 A hand operated weaving loom comprising, a rectangular [211 App]. No.: 45,805

[52] US. Cl ..139/33 [51] Int. Cl. [58] Field of Search ..139/29-34 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,198,624 4/1940 Kimson 139/33 1,700,163 1/1929 Heikes 139/33 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS frame having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, a series of lifters pivotally mounted on a first end wall for retaining the warp threads and a detachable rotatable cam mechanism positioned below the lifters and supported by the side walls whereby on rotation of the cam mechanism the lifters are oscillated upwards and downwards relative to the longitudinal axis of the frame to effect shedding of the warp threads and to produce the desired weaving pattern. One end of the warp thread is attached to a hook provided on the end of the lifter and the other end of the warp thread is attached to a series of fingers mounted on the second end wall. At predetermined positions of the cam assembly the weft threads are inserted manually between the warp threads and the ends of the weft threads are attached to a series of fingers mounted on each of the side walls. In one embodiment each of the warp and weft threads is in the form of an elongated elastic loop. The weaving pattern may be varied by interchanging the cam mechanism and utilizing a different set of cams.

1 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 10 I4, LFE L Patented May 30, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F@.HA.

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lnvenTor Eugene lLekS B AHorneys Patented May 30, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 2 3hha W W yl \nvenfor Eugene l Leks Attorneys HAND WEAVING LOOM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION may pass. The prior art pertaining to textile weaving machines discloses various forms of shedding mechanisms which incorporate different arrangements of cam assemblies for operating the heddle frames which control the warp threads. The present invention provides for a manually operated loom which incorporates a changeable cam assembly for performing the shedding operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly the loom of the present invention comprises a rectangular frame in which the warp threads are mounted. One end of the warp thread is attached to a series of permanently fixed fingers mounted at the end of the frame and the other end of the warp thread is attached to a set of lifters pivotally mounted in the opposite end of the frame. A cam as sembly is rotatably mounted between the sides of the frame and controls the upward and downward movement of the lifters. The cam assembly is rotated manually and at predetermining positions of the cams the weft thread is inserted manually. v

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a hand weaving loom of the specified character which is simple in operation, but can produce complicated weave patterns which may be varied by interchanging the cam assembly.

It is 'a further object of the invention to provide a hand weaving loom for use as an educational device to illustrate or teach the art of weaving.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hand weaving loom for use as a toy for children to create and make various woven articles.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a hand weaving loom which may be operated with warp and weft threads in the form of elastic elongated loops. These loops facilitate the manual operation of the loom and consequently make the loom specially adapted for use as a therapeutic device for operation by a person having limited use of his hands.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a weaving loom which can be economically manufactured and easily assembled with a minimum of moving parts and which is sturdy and reliable.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

I FIG. 2 is a sectional view in elevation taken along the line C-C of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 with a portion of the end wall cut away.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C illustrate diagrammatically the various operating positions of the cam assembly with relation to the warp and weft threads, FIG. 4A showing the cam section taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, FIG. 48 showing the cam section taken along the line B-B of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4C illustrating the weave pattern produced at each position of the individual cam elements.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating diagrammatically the method of mounting the warp and weft threads on the loom.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cam assembly and bearings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the weaving loom generally comprises a rectangular frame 10 having a bottom wall 11 and an open top defined by the upper edges of the end walls 12 and 13 and the side walls 14 and 15.

A series of spaced fingers or hooks 16 are mounted on the upper edges of the side wall 14 and a corresponding series of fingers 17 are positioned on the upper edges of side wall 15, so that opposite fingers on each wall are in axial alignment on axes parallel to the end of the frame. A series of fingers 18 similar to finger l6 and 17 are positioned on the upper edges of end wall 13.

A series of elongated lifters 19 are pivotally mounted at the opposite end wall 12 and pivot about a common horizontal axis parallel to the end wall. The lifters are mounted by conventional means and in the preferred embodiment one end of the lifter is in the form of an elongated loop or tube 39 which encircles a pivot shaft 37 mounted between the side walls and defining the horizontal pivot axis. The lifters are axially spaced on the pivot axis by means of the loops 39 which act as spacers between the lifters. The lifters 19 extend longitudinally from the end wall on axes parallel to the sides of the frame and each lifter at its opposite end is provided with an upward extending hook 38 which is axially aligned with a corresponding finger 18 of the end wall 13. The lifters oscillate upwards and downwards in a vertical plane relative to the longitudinal axis of the frame.

A guide wall 20 is mounted between and perpendicular to the side walls 14 and 15 and the guide wall is provided with a series of axially spaced mortices or slots 21 which act as guides for the inner ends of the lifters which extend from the end walls through the slots and project a short distance past the guide wall.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 the cam assembly is generally designated by the numeral 22 and incorporates four rows or sets of cams designated by the numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each row of cams comprises a series of individual cam elements mounted at axially spaced intervals along the axis of the cam shaft 23. As better illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the individual cam elements for rows 1, 2, 3 and 4 are designated respectively as la to If, 2a to 2e, 3a to 3e and 4a to 4e.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 the rows of cams are positioned at intervals around the axis of the cam shaft in a plane transverse to the axis of rotation.

The cam assembly is mounted below the lifters 19 so that the lifters rest on the contact surfaces of the cams defined by the upper edge 30 of the cam element and the lower edge 31 of the trough formed between individual cam elements.

As the cam shaft is rotated, an individual lifter 19 will be caused to oscillate from an uppermost position defined by the top level 21a of the guide slot 21 when the lifter contacts the surface 30 of the cam to the lowermost position defined by the bottom level 21b of the guide slot 21 when the lifter contacts the surface 31 of the cam.

In any given position when a row of cams is positioned so that the cams project upward in a vertical plane, the lifters 19 will be positioned either at a high or low level depending on whether the lifter rest on a surface 30 or a surface 31. A coil spring 33 is fixedly attached to the end wall 12 and the lifter 19 to provide a biasing force for urging the lifters downward against the cam surfaces.

An operating disc or handwheel 32 is mounted at one end of the shaft to facilitate the rotation of the cam assembly. In order to prevent the cam shaft from rotating when it is necessary to hold the cam elements in a fixed position there is provided a detent assembly comprising a detent wheel 34 having a series of notches 35 positioned on the periphery. A spring lever 36 formed from resilient material is fixed at one end to the guide wall 20 and the other end of the lever is provided with a V-shaped projection which is adapted to co-operatively mate with the notches 35 in the detent. The lever provides a biasing force against the wheel to prevent rotation thereof, and it is necessary to provide a manual turning force to overcome the spring bias and move the cam set to a new position.

In the preferred embodiment, as better illustrated in FIG. 6, the cam assembly 22 is detachably mounted in the side walls 14 and 15. The detent wheel 34 and cam rows 1, 2, 3 and 4 form an integral unit having a longitudinally extending bore and the cam shaft 23 is mounted in the bore. The end 24 of the cam shaft has a circular cross-section and the opposite end 25 of the shaft is formed with a square cross-section.

The handwheel 32 has an integral shaft 27 which is rotatably mounted in a bushing 29. The bushing 29 is mounted in the side wall 15 and a clip 26 serves to retain the handwheel in position when the camshaft is removed as hereinafter described. The handwheel is provided with a square slot at its center of rotation and the square end 25 of the cam shaft is positioned in the slot whereby when the handwheel is turned the shaft is caused to rotate.

The opposite end 24 of the cam shaft rotates in a bore hole positioned in one end of a plug insert 28. The plug insert 28 is provided with external threads 47 and the plug screws into a bushing 45 mounted in the side wall 14.

The bushings 29 and 45 are attached to the side walls by means of the screws 46 or alternatively may be welded to the side walls.

In order to remove the cam assembly 22 it is only necessary to unscrew and remove the plug 28. The cam assembly is then removed and the handwheel 32 remains in position. A new cam assembly for providing a different weave pattern is readily replaced. The square end 25 of the cam shaft is positioned in the slot provided in the handwheel and the plug 28 is then screwed back into the bushing 45 to receive the end 24 of the cam shaft.

MODE OF OPERATION OF INVENTION The method of operation of the foregoing elements to produce a weave pattern will now be described. The weaving operation will be described with respect to the use of a special type of warp and weft thread wherein the individual thread is in the form of an elastic loop. FIG. illustrates diagramatically the type of loop employed and the method of mounting the loops in the loom. The loop is preferably manufactured from a fabric made stretchable by interwoven strands of rubber.

The warp threads or loops are generally designated by the numerals 40 and the weft threads by the numeral 41. The warp loop 40 which is identical to the weft loop 41 comprises side elements 42 and end elements 44 forming an endless loop. One end of the loop 40 is attached to the finger 18 on the end wall and the opposite end to the corresponding axially aligned hook 38 on the movable lifter 19. Similarly, when a weft loop is to be inserted under or over one or more warp threads, the loop 41 is first looped over the finger 16 on the side wall and then inserted across the warp threads to be looped on the opposite axially aligned finger 17. To facilitate the insertion of the weft a shuttle in the form of a manually operated probe or needle (not illustrated) may be employed and hooked onto the free end of the loop for passing the free end to the opposite side wall.

The scope of the invention is not limited to the use of the aforementioned loops and the loom may be operated employing a single strand for both the weft and warp threads each end of the thread being attached to the respective fingers 16, 17 and 18 or the hook 38 by conventional means such as by tying the thread to the hook.

The method of weaving a pattern will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 4A, 4B and 4C. In these figures the positions on the loom of the warp loops 40 are identified by the designation W,, W W etc., and the positions of the weft loops 41 by the designation P P P etc.

The warp loops 40 are first attached to each of the lifters l9 and the corresponding fingers 18 in the aforementioned manner. The cam assembly 22 is then rotated by means of the operating wheel 32 so that the row of cams designated by the numeral 1 is positioned with the individual cam elements 1a, 1b, 10, etc., extending upward. In this position the lifters 19 resting on the upper cam surfaces 30 are in the high position and thus the warp threads corresponding to the positions W W W etc., are raised whereas the warp threads corresponding to the positions W W W and W etc., are lowered since the lifters holding these threads rest on the lower surfaces 31 of the cam. With the cam row 1 in this position the weft thread P, is inserted horizontally into the loom between the warp threads and attached to the appropriate fingers 16 and 17 as aforementioned.

The cam assembly is then rotated so that the cam row 2 extends upwards. In this position the warp threads W W W W etc., are raised whereas the threads W W W etc., are lowered. The weft thread P is then inserted between the warp threads and attached to the corresponding fingers 16 and 17.

The cam assembly is then rotated to position the cam rows 3 and 4 in that sequence and in each of these positions the warp threads P and P respectively are inserted.

The aforementioned weaving program is then repeated and the cam rows rotated and positioned in the same sequence and at each position there is an insertion of a weft thread.

It is understood that the present invention is not restricted to the use of a cam assembly having an arrangement of cams identical to those described in the preferred embodiment. It should be appreciated that many variations are possible in the structure of the cams particularly in the number of rows of cams mounted on the cam shaft and the spacing of the cams along the shaft. Further, by varying the sequence of rotation of the individual cam assembly, it is possible to change the weave pattern; by way of example, if the rows of cams 1, 2, 3 and 4 shown in FIG. 4A, and 4B are positioned in the sequence 1, 2, 3 and 4 and then 3, 2, 1 and 4, a weave pattern different from that shown in FIG. 4C will be attained.

It is believed that it is obvious from the foregoing description of the operation of the loom, that the present invention provides a hand operated loom which is simple to operate and yet is capable of producing numerous different weave patterns.

The loom is readily adapted for use as a toy or for an educational device to teach the art of weaving. The hand operated cam assembly positions the warp threads in the correct position and the operator need only insert the weft thread between the positioned threads. This feature of the loom is of distinct advantage in a toy to provide a simple way of producing a woven product or as an educational device to illustrate the basic principles of weaving.

Although it is not contemplated that the invention be restricted to operation with warp and weft threads in the form of elastic loops as aforementioned, the use of the loops facilitates the weaving operation. The operator need only loop the ends of the loops over the fingers l6, 17 or 18. When the weaving operation is completed the ends of the loops are readily adaptable for tying together the individual warp and weft threads at the edges of the woven product by conventional means.

The features of the loom whereby it may be operated utilizing the aforesaid loops, makes the loom particularly adaptable for use by a person having limited use of his hands. Hence, the loorn may be utilized as a therapeutic device for exercising the fingers as well as producing a woven product.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the details of a preferred embodiment, it is to be appreciated that the invention is not limited to all of these details. It is rather to be considered as of a scope commensurate with the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A hand weaving loom, comprising:

a substantially rectangular frame having a first and second end wall and two side walls;

a series of axially spaced lifters, one end of each lifter being pivotally mounted on the said first end wall on a common horizontal axis for oscillatory up and down movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the frame, the other end of each lifter having means to which one end of a warp thread is attachable;

means formed on the upper edges of the second end wall for attaching the other end of the warp thread;

means formed on the upper edges of the said side walls for attaching the weft threads in spaced relationship on axes transverse to the said warp threads; a detachable rotatable cam mechanism supported by said side walls and positioned below said lifters, said cam mechanism comprising a cam shaft, a hand disc secured to said shaft for rotating a guide wall extending between said side walls, said guide wall having a series of vertical axial spaced slots, the said lifters extending through the slots and oscillating therein to effect shedding of the warp and to produce a desired weaving pattern. 

1. A hand weaving loom, comprising: a substantially rectangular frame having a first and second end wall and two side walls; a series of axially spaced lifters, one end of each lifter being pivotally mounted on the said first end wall on a common horizontal axis for oscillatory up and down movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the frame, the other end of each lifter having means to which one end of a warp thread is attachable; means formed on the upper edges of the second end wall for attaching the other end of the warp thread; means formed on the upper edges of the said side walls for attaching the weft threads in spaced relationship on axes transverse to the said warp threads; a detachable rotatable cam mechanism supported by said side walls and positioned below said lifters, said cam mechanism comprising a cam shaft, a hand disc secured to said shaft for rotating said mechanism, at least two rows of cams angularly spaced relative to each other about the center of rotation of the said shaft, each of the said rows having a series of individual cam elements axially spaced along the axis of the shaft and extending outwardly from the shaft whereby on rotation of the said shaft each of the said rows is alternatively positioned to contact the said lifters in a predetermined sequence; and a guide wall extending between said side walls, said guide wall having a series of vertical axial spaced slots, the said lifters extending through the slots and oscillating therein to effect shedding of the warp and to produce a desired weaving pattern. 